Fyodor Dostoevsky’s The Idiot opens as protagonist Prince Myshkin heads back home to Russia after spending the past four years being treated for epilepsy in a Swiss clinic. Over the next 600 or so pages, Myshkin attempts to re-integrate himself into society, but his overly idealistic worldview always makes him a bit of an outcast, for better or for worse.

Most of us haven’t endured four years of inpatient treatment, but a lot of us can relate to the feeling of stumbling back into the real world after a period of time away — whatever “away” means. On Horse Jumper Of Love’s new single “The Idiot,” inspired in part by the novel, that distance is more mental and emotional than it is physical. “Didn’t I take a break from you?/ Wasn’t I the idiot?/ Didn’t I just stumble in?” vocalist Dimitri Giannopoulos wonders over plodding, contemplative guitars. It’s foolish to expect the world to wait for you, Giannopoulos argues. But it’s usually not impossible to catch up. —Abby

Four songs into their career, Witch Post are proving themselves as one of the most compelling new indie rock bands. “The Wolf” kicks off with lively riffs leading into Dylan Fraser’s theatrical vocals singing the ridiculously fun refrain: “Oh honey/ Don’t you get funny.” Alaska Reid’s ethereal voice adds a burst of beauty to the song, and the blaring guitars make it as invigorating as it is gorgeous. It would’ve been easy for them to fall off after the phenomenal debut song “Chill Out,” but it turns out they’ve got plenty of bangers in them. —Danielle

Avalon Emerson says that she made “Treat Mode” specifically for her DJ sets, and it’s easy to imagine how its beeps and thuds would sound echoing around a large, crowded room. But a propulsive electro groove can sound great in all kinds of contexts, and this one in particular evokes images of neon-streaked gunfights and black Trans-Ams speeding down the LA river. Emerson made her name in dance music, and she only crossed over to websites like this one when she applied her gifts toward making twee indie-pop. But a track like this one shows that she’s just as sharp and focused when the emphasis is on making people move. —Tom

“Ricochet” is the type of song that needs time to simmer. The lead single to Sorry Girls’ forthcoming album Dreamwalker is a piece of lush, expansive sophisti-pop, influenced as much by ’80s Fleetwood Mac as it is by the Montreal studio where the duo holed up for several months to make the record. As much as the members of Sorry Girls nod to the past, however, Heather Foster Kirkpatrick and Dylan Konrad Obront also possess a self-awareness that keeps the song from slipping into corny territory: “Just being here is my beautiful defiance/ I see you tip-toeing by/ I’m glad I left you behind,” Kirkpatrick croons over balladic synths. Though hard work undoubtedly went into “Ricochet,” the result feels effortless. —Abby

It’s exactly what I wanted it to be. When I heard MJ Lenderman, my favorite indie breakout star of the past few years, had covered This Is Lorelei’s “Dancing In The Club,” one of the songs I played the most in 2024, my hopes were high, but my expectations were low. These convergences of greatness rarely live up to your dreams. Yet everything about “Dancing In The Club” translates beautifully from Nate Amos’ Auto-Tuned pop-punk/electro-pop meltdown into Jake Lenderman’s signature slacker roots-rock mode. Every lyric could easily fit on Manning Fireworks — “Losers never win, and I’m a loser, always been” especially — and with Amos’ help, Lenderman’s band makes the music feel just as propulsive as the original, albeit slowed down to the pace of Southern living. It’s sad; it’s funny; it’s so beautiful. —Chris